Fun Bulletin Board Idea

It's the little things that sometimes keeps you going. Today's post is about a fun display I recently created.

I inherited a bulletin board in the English hallway at my school. I change it out about every other month. This time I made those tear away flyers in Canva; you know the flyers with information at the bottom that a person can rip off and save. Each flyer is a different genre, and the info at the bottom are books from that genre. Then I cut the bottom of the flyers apart for easy tearing. Here are a few pictures of what that looks like in the hallway.

I'm not sure what I am going to do if students actually rip them all off. I guess I need to be prepared with alternative flyers. Someone in an FB group said the tear away can then be their bookmark as they read the book. I hadn't thought of that, but she is right. I love it when logistics work out like that.

If you want to do something similar, I am giving you the Canva templates. One template for the main title, and one of the flyers for you to use/edit to reflect your collection.

• What Should I Read Next?
• Romance Flyer

TCEA 2023

 This was the first TCEA where I travelled away since COVID.  I participated in the virtual conferences, and last year it was in Dallas.  That was so close to my home that I was able to ride the DART rail to get there and back.  That just doesn't feel the same as going to a different city.

I look forward to participating in this conference every year.  I also love TLA, but there is something about technology that I just love.  Of course, I will be looking forward to this year's TLA conference in Austin.  I love the books and hearing authors speak.  If we could somehow combine the best of both conferences, I would be in heaven.

Let's talk sessions.  I enjoyed all of the sessions I attended, but many of them were geared towards librarians.  So of course I did!  My favorite session was about the AI Bot, Chat GPT.  I enjoyed it because the presenters were more about how to use it positively in the classroom instead of banning it.  Granted it is for users 18 year of age and up.  So blocking it from the student's accounts at school is the right choice.  However, I believe teachers should have access in order to model some positive ways to use Chat GPT.  Isn't that what Digital Citizenship is all about? Using technology appropriately?  

I loved Matt Miller's infographic highlighting 20 ways to use it in the classroom.  Here is the explanation that goes with that infographic: https://ditchthattextbook.com/ai#t-1671292150924

I also found it helpful when Mr. Miller listed all the ways classroom teachers were actually using the AI Bot.  He curated his list from Twitter.  It's worth a look.  https://ditchthattextbook.com/ai#tve-jump-185fce7110d

The conference wasn't all about AI; there were many fun sessions I attended.  In addition, Pam Pinkerton and I presented our session "Top 10 Tools to Make Your Library Pop."  It was well attended which always humbles and excites me when people show up to hear me talk about my fabulous library.  I love what I do, and I hope that shows when I talk one-on-one or present in a room full of people.

I curated a Wakelet of all best sessions I attended.  Here is that link if you are interested. 

https://wakelet.com/wake/f0z84XNhv7o6iPgzWQimt

Thanks for tuning in, and Happy Valentine's Day!

A First Semester Review

 

I realize this is only telling part of our story, but I am pretty proud of those numbers.  We have been working hard to bring all of our students into the library.  I think these numbers show we are doing just that.  In addition, students are using our databases and checking out books.  Our class visits have gone down, but that is to be expected.  The first 6 weeks usually includes me seeing all of our ELAR classes for either a library introduction or a library review.  So I am okay with that number trending down . . . for the moment.

Now here is what the numbers don't say.  In looking back at what we did last semester, our most successful programs include . . .

• National Day Giveaways
  
  
• Drones
  
  
• Fri-YAY!
  
  

I talked about all of these in the November 2022 post.  At the time, I was speculating these programs were the reason our numbers were increasing.  After analyzing the whole semester, now I am sure these programs helped increase our foot traffic.  When students come in to participate in programs, they also end up checking out books . . . eventually.  I try to create fun activities in the library to build those relationships.  When those relationships pay off and students come to me to talk about books, I know I've got them hook-line-and-sinker.  I just love that!

If you need more details about our 1st semester, here is a recap of our Six Weeks Usage Reports.

• 1st Six Weeks, August 17-September 23
  
  
• 2nd Six Weeks, September 26-October 28
  
  
• 3rd Six Weeks, October 31-December 20

What's in the Box?

I can't believe half of our school year is almost over. Doesn't it go by in a blink? I have one more day of school tomorrow, and I am just a bit jealous of all those school districts that ended their semester on Friday.  However, tomorrow will go just as quickly as today.  Unfortunately, that means the whole break will do the same, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Let's talk "Mystery Boxes."  That is just an easier title for BreakOut EDU.  Last year I started creating a breakout box for the library each month.  Last year I took most of my ideas from the "lock of the day," which is a part of the BreakOut EDU platform.  It's usually a one lock problem, and mostly digital.  I just recreated that problem with a physical box and placed that box in the library.  I always have books in the mystery box along with some candy or stickers.  To be honest, it didn't go as I had imagined it.  Most of the mystery box enthusiasts solved the problem and opened the box at the beginning of the month, and then the box stayed on the table (collecting dust) for the rest of the month.  Despite that less than stellar debut, I decided to repeat the activity this year.

This year I have been very strategic with the breakout box.  Up until December, I still only did one problem per month. I also tied it to our district Vision 2030 guiding statements, the one that particularly goes with Algebra.  I was trying to decide how to support math in the library and decided to create math breakout box problems.  In addition, I also started advertising on the morning announcements and on social media.  The results are in, and the mystery box is way more popular this year.  In fact, I have an office aide who loves them so much, she created an alternate problem for December.  That made everyone happy.  They were able to break open the mystery box twice this month.  Once by solving a math problem and again by decoding the secret word.  We will probably continue the 2 boxes a month  now that I have a helper.

Here are the mystery box problems for December.  Mine is the green one, and it was up from Dec 1 - 9.  When the students solve the last equation, that is the combination to the lock. Then the white one came from my student, and it started on Dec 12 and will be running until tomorrow, Dec. 20th.  When the students find out what letters they need, they rearrange them to spell out a Christmas word, and then those letters correspond to a number from the chart.  Those numbers are the combination to open the lock.

I'm not sure if it is the variety that is bringing the students to the library to solve the "mystery box," or if it is the announcements, or maybe it's just word of mouth.  To be honest, it does not matter.  The mystery box is a very popular station in the library now, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Happy Holidays!

Bringing in the Patrons

One of my goals this year is to reach those students who are reluctant to come to the library.  I am really good about keeping my regulars coming back, but I need to reach more than just the library lovers if I am going to make an impact on all students.  My theory is to get them coming through the door with the fun stuff first.  Then I can slowly build those relationships in the hopes that they come to me later for help, be it research or books they might want to read.

I am trying 2 different things this year that seem to be working.  I have a National Day Give Away once a month.  For instance, on August 31st, it was National Trail Mix day.  So students came to the library to make their own trail mix to take back to lunch with them.  My latest one was "No Shave" November.  Since it was for the whole month, I just picked a day to hand out fake mustaches and book marks.  That has been the most popular one so far.  We gave out 250 mustaches and over 150 book marks.  It was crazy.  Who knew that mustaches were going to be so popular.  LOL! Here is a list of my Give Aways this year.

The second idea is called Fri-YAY.  On Fridays, we set out games, puzzles, poetry activities, crafts, the mystery box, and the latest to make it's debut are the Drones.  The drones are so popular that we fly them twice a week, instead of just on Fridays.  It gives more students a chance to fly them.  I picked up some cheap drones on Amazon.  

My plan was to cycle through different activities each month, but that has not happened.  Once I introduce a new game or activity, it is a permanent part of Fri-YAY.  I tried explaining that to the students, but they want what they want.  After all, getting them into the library was my goal.  As new things I have ordered come in, I add them to the Fri-YAY activities.  The only things that does change is the craft table.  It cycles with the seasons.  Here was my Fri-YAY list at the beginning of the year when I naively thought I was going to switch all activities each month.  Now it is just a Friday free-for-all.  The students are coming in which makes me happy, and they seem to be happy with all the choices they have each Friday.

SHS Library - the Second Six Weeks

 Our second six weeks was a busy one.  That's always a good thing!  This 6 weeks our highlights include our Fri-YAY makerspaces each Friday, book club (meets twice a month), and 37 Library Introduction classes.  We celebrated National Train your Brain Day, and we hosted a plethora of other Library activities as outlined by our October 2022 calendar.  In addition, we hosted the Yearbook photos, a faculty meeting and multiple PLC meetings.  Not bad for our little library.

SHS Library - Oct 2022 by Jeneene Tahaney

The First 6 Weeks: How did it go?

 

When you start off the year with a cyberattack, how do you recover?  My district was without internet and wi-fi for over a week at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.  That threw all of our well-laid plans into disarray.  I was  planning to target all of the English I & II classes this six weeks to do my beginning of year library introduction.  To be honest, I am at the end of the six weeks, and I am just now planning those classes.  I was able to see the Junior English classes for Book Speed Dating and a quick library introduction.  The seniors are on their own this year.

Having said all that, it has been a productive 6 weeks - at least when I look at my library usage statistics.  We have way more students coming into the library this year.  Our numbers are up before school and during lunch.  I even get a few students after school who need to print or check out a book before the busses roll away.  Yay! I love a full library.

Here are the 1st Six Weeks Usage Statistics for the SHS Library.  They are a bit longer this year.  After doing so many presentations with Pam last year about telling our library's story (see presentation here), I realized that the library is more than just numbers.  So the 2nd page of my statistics includes snapshots of tangible things that happened in the library.  You have to show the "fun stuff" as Pam said so often during our presentations.  That is what I am doing this year.  Showing the quantitative and the qualitative information in my report which seems to broaden my range of people who are interested. Nice!

This year started off a bit of a nightmare, but we are slowly starting to gain momentum.  By the end of the next 6 weeks, I am hoping to have all of my library introductions done.  I guess only time will tell if that will come to fruition.

I'm still planning to have a fantastic year.  I hope you are too.